There are Darker Sides to Life
by sharkfinley
Summary: Finally having given up on catching her hero's eye, Amy Rose finds herself in the arms of a much different sort of man. Just as everything seems like it's falling into place she finds out that lurking underneath the sparkling city of Station Square is a much darker reality than she'd ever imagined. Updates have resumed after a year long hiatus!
1. Expanding Horizons

"I'm so tired of this!" The girl exclaimed as she slammed her apartment door behind her. The hallway was dark, but Amy was finally getting used to the layout of her new apartment, so she didn't bother to hit the lights until she reached her bedroom, managing to stumble only once over an empty moving box. She collapsed face first onto her bed and let out a loud groan.

She didn't know why she bothered anymore. Sonic had agreed to a date and stood her up once more. She waited for hours outside of Twinkle Park, knowing he would not come. He never did. In the morning she expected to receive a voicemail something to the likes of, _"Hey Ames! Sorry about yesterday, I got caught up and…"_ She'd heard all his excuses a thousand times.

The girl rolled onto her back, fixing her emerald gaze on the popcorn ceiling. She knew he wasn't her boyfriend, and he never was, but she'd tried so hard to be what he wanted so that maybe, one day… He said she was annoying, so she kept a little more distance. He said she was ignorant, so she'd finished school and even enrolled in college. He said she was childish, and so she got a job and moved out of Cream and Vanilla's house.

Now here she was. Better off now than she'd ever been. A smarter, wiser girl who would make a perfect companion for a hero. He kept making promises, and she was beginning to realize he kept none of them. He never did, and he never will. This made her heart ache like it never had before. He could never, _ever_ be bothered to try.

She checked her phone for the time and sighed. 9 o' clock. Too early to fall asleep. She wanted nothing more than to put today behind her. A loud honk startled her enough to make her sit up and look at the window, one hand resting on her chest. _Not used to living in the city._ She thought, getting up and sitting on the ledge of the large window. Station Square was such a beautiful city, especially at night. She could see the casino glowing in the distance, the neon lights flickering all around it. Large groups of people passed on the streets below. She watched two lovers with arms around each other cross the street and disappear around the corner. Watching them filled her with a renewed pang of sadness.

She let her eyes travel to the sky and for the first time, she noticed her faint reflection in the window. Her eyes were still puffy and red from spilling tears on her walk home. _Why so blue?_ She could almost hear Sonic's voice in her head. Disgusted, she huffed and turned away from the window with new resolve.

"I'm through with him," She said weakly aloud, ignoring how her voice cracked just a little. "Done. He's finished. I deserve better." She continued, heading for her closet door. The sparkling city had given the rosy hedgehog a new idea. Casting her trademark red dress from her body, she pulled on another, this one strapless and sparkling, hugging her frame and ending mid-thigh. She entered her bathroom looking much less like herself, having loosely curled her quills and put on makeup (two looks that _Sonic_ always said he disliked). Her boots were replaced with some red heels, and suddenly Amy felt much better about herself.

The girl made her way downstairs and into the cool night air, quickly hailing a cab and taking it to the casino district. The strip was filled with bars and clubs and was always crawling with the college crowd. Amy had been invited here by classmates many times but had always declined the offer. Hookup culture never appealed to her, as she had had her heart set on one man for so many years. Even as she stepped out of the cab, she was unsure of herself. The air felt electric, and the sound of passing conversation from the crowds made it hard to think. What was she here for? What was her end game? Go home with a strange man and prove to Sonic she is a desirable woman? The thought made her a little bit sick. She owed him nothing and still could not shake the feeling that she was his. With so many emotions swirling around in her mind, she walked into a pub feeling quite dizzy, somehow miraculously able to sit at the bar and order some gin. Drink in hand, she turned around to examine her surroundings.

She felt immediately discouraged. Suddenly it seemed that every patron in the bar was grouped up, busy, involved in conversation. She had always been confident but felt so out of her element that she didn't even know where to start. She downed her drink and one more after that before she saw a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. _Rouge!_

Quickly she made her way towards the bat, elegantly dressed and seated on the lap of her long-time lover, Knuckles. "Hello, you two!" She said as she reached their table.

"Amy!" Rouge squealed in delight. She got up and planted a kiss on either side of Amy's muzzle. "It's so good to see you! Join us!"

Amy took a seat, grateful to have been rescued from her solitude. She was quickly introduced to the pair's companions, and promptly forgot their names as her head began to swim. She did a number of shots with all of them as they caught up. It had been years since she'd hung out with her old friends. She'd been so wrapped up in Sonic, being what he wanted, bettering herself for him… She'd forgotten to enjoy herself. For the first time in several years she laughed with the joy she'd had in her youth. She congratulated her friend on their upcoming nuptials, she drank to one unfamiliar cat's recent graduation, she danced with a fox who told her she was beautiful. She felt so _content._

It wasn't long before the group had left, and she found herself in the midst of a house party. Drinks flowed, music played, she found herself a companion to dance the night away with and the rest of the night disappeared.

* * *

Amy was awake for several minutes before she opened her eyes. Her head throbbed, but she was so comfortable that she didn't care to move at all. She sighed, enjoying the feeling of warm fur against her face, of another's chest rising and falling, strong arms wrapped tightly around her…

It was these thoughts that made her eyes snap open. She sucked in a sharp breath at the first thing she saw: _black and red._


	2. His Morning

This being her very first 'walk of shame,' Amy was just a little more than embarrassed. She had managed to escape Shadow's embrace without waking him, and for this she was thankful. She had not spoken to the dark hedgehog since ARK. She saw him around from time to time, sure, but he was always so aloof and detached from his surroundings… finding herself with him in such a vulnerable position left her cheeks flaming red. She pulled her dress on, thankfully able to find her phone and wallet next to the heap it was in. She stole one look at Shadow before she left, lingering on his sleeping form for just a moment too long before slipping out and calling a cab.

The ebony hedgehog came to his senses a little over an hour later, sitting up and rubbing his forehead with a quiet groan. To his surprise, Amy was no longer in bed beside him. _Did I imagine last night?_ Looking down at his naked form, he was sure it hadn't been a dream. She must have left.

He pulled on some sweatpants made his way into his living room, glad to see there were no lingering guests from the previous evening, only to be disappointed to find Rouge on the floor of his kitchen. He nudged the bat girl until she came too with a whine.

"Leave me alone...!"

"Want some coffee?"

After a long silent pause, she gave him a reluctant yes, and slowly managed to sit up. "Have you seen Knuckles?"

"No, I just woke up." Shadow replied as he started his coffee machine. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest, watching Rouge slowly get onto her feet with mild disinterest. "Shouldn't he be with you?"

"Ha, I don't remember anything after doing a bunch of shots with Amy at the bar." She replied, hopping up on the island counter. "Did you see her last night?"

"I did actually," he replied, swallowing the lump that immediately formed in his throat. "We, uh, danced."

"Oh? Careful not to step on Sonic's toes now." She teased her friend lightly.

"Uh, well, it's a bit late for that."

"Oh my god, what did you do?" She asked with a cocked brow and a grin.

His coffee maker beeped, pulling away his attention for a moment as he poured two cups for them and gave her one. "I don't have creamer or anything."

"Black is fine." She said, bringing the burning hot mug to her lips, not breaking her gaze with him once.

A long silence followed as they stared at each other. "I slept with her." He relented.

"Oh, my, careful not to catch yourself a stalker. You remember what she did to Sonic right? Chased him around, always hanging on him—"

"That was a while ago wasn't it?" Shadow cocked an eyebrow at her remark. "Why are you all so quick to demonize her for doing things that teenage girls do?"

"She _did_ seem a bit more mature, but she's the same gal she always has been." Rouge turned a nose up as she spoke. "I'm sure only time will tell. She's in university now, did she tell you that?"

"We didn't do a lot of talking."

"Then why are _you_ so quick to defend her?" Rouge's voice was sharp with accusation.

"She was _always_ quick to defend all of you back in the day. Seems only fair _someone_ be on her side."

"Sonic sure does lead her on, I'll give you that."

"Do you still talk to him?"

"Knuckles still hangs out with Tails from time to time." She rolled her eyes. "I'd never have such a goody two shoes like Sonic hanging around my household."

"I should imagine not. Seems like he'd get in the way of business."

Rouge finished off her coffee and slid off the counter, getting close to Shadow and dropping her voice to a whisper. "Speaking of… I have some clients to meet this afternoon. Will you be joining me?"

"If you'd like." He sighed deeply, eyes fixed on some point behind Rouge.

"Don't act so broody." She teased, offering him a flirtatious smile. "I better collect my man and leave you to it. Check your email for the details, okay hon?"

"Very well."

Rouge combed the house and eventually found Knuckles sleeping soundly in Shadow's guest room. She woke him up and dragged him out of the house with a happy grin. "Boy do I have some drama for you." She said as they got in their car, leaving Shadow far behind them.

After she left Shadow made his way to his study, sitting at his desk with a yawn. He kept books for Rouge these days, and as she always preferred his company when meeting new clients, he figured he might as well get as much work done this morning as possible before he had to take on the 'bodyguard' role.

He took a moment to consider his dealings with Rouge. He'd never been bothered by doing illegal things before, and the fact that he was a bookie for a gang that dealt in stolen jewels didn't really bother him either. For some reason, though, as he stared at the computer in front of him, he felt a twinge of concern. _What would Amy think?_

She liked the hero type. He already knew that. He'd never been a hero and never even tried to be. What he was doing now… was he a bad guy? Were his actions villainous? Not inherently, he argued with himself. Could they be looked on as such? By someone like Amy, perhaps. But why should that bother him?

Amy had always been such a strange character to him. No one ever seemed to recognize her as anything but Sonic's fangirl. It was like she'd been designed just to adore him. The thought made Shadow grit his teeth. He remembered speaking to her on ARK, when she talked him into saving everyone. He didn't know why her words had been able to touch him. No one ever affected him like that since Maria's death. Was it because her words had mirrored what Maria had told him? What was Amy to _him_ then? A living version of his only friend? If that was all he reduced her to, then how was he better than anyone else? Shameful.

He leaned over his desk and let his head rest in his hands. His personality had always been a bit obsessive. Maybe he should go for a run, clear his head… then maybe he could get Amy off his mind. Suddenly his mind was taken back to the previous evening. He remembered her eyes burning into his as they danced, cheeks flushed with alcohol. He could recall how soft her fur had been as he ran his bare hands along it. He could see her body writhing underneath him as he—

_Snap out of it!_ He chastised himself. _You have work to do!_ It took all the willpower he had, but eventually he forced the pink hedgehog out of his mind, vowing to forget the previous night completely.


	3. Her Evening

Amy spent the whole day in a daze. After making her way home and showering, she headed into the café for her afternoon shift. She somehow juggled managing the café while being a full-time student, but it was not without great stress. Her hangover lingered on even as she made it to work, making it just a little too hard to focus on making schedules.

Well, that was _part_ of why she was so distracted.

She saw the voicemail from Sonic, but she didn't want to listen to it yet. She'd rather wait until she could cry in bed. She had so wanted it to be him, so desperately wished he'd be the one to take her for the first time. She wondered if it would have happened last night, if he'd shown up for their date. Did he even think of her in _that_ way?

She thought for a moment about Shadow, and immediately her cheeks felt hot. She remembered only bits and pieces of the night before, but she did remember how his lips felt against hers. She'd kissed boys before, of course, but never had it been like that. His touch was gentle, yet dominant. His kiss was like fire. She recalled how she'd cried out his name. _Shadow._

The thought had her feeling strange. She mourned what she thought she'd one day have, but… perhaps it wasn't all that bad. That was what she'd wanted after all, to move on from Sonic, to find some way to detach herself from him. Maybe this could propel her to her independence. After all, what better 'Fuck you' to Sonic than screwing his rival?

This thought made her laugh.

"Amy?" One of her waitresses caught her attention. "Can I talk to you about my vacation?"

"Um?" She replied, unable to process her words quite yet. They shared an awkward moment before Amy got it together. "Yes, good timing, I'm making schedules right now." She gave the girl an earnest smile, thankful for the momentary distraction from her thoughts.

Amy carried on with her day in a similar fashion until the café closed. She spent the entire walk home consumed by her thoughts, rehashing the same thing over and over. How did she feel? She didn't know. Nothing changed. Everything changed. What was she going to do?

She kept her head down as she walked, so she didn't notice the hedgehog hanging outside her building until he called out to her from half a block away.

"Amy!" He cried, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. "Where have you been?"

She was dumbfounded. "S-sonic." She said, unsure of herself. "I was working. What are you doing here?"

Sonic scratched the back of his neck, a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, you hadn't called me back, so I figured you're probably pretty mad about yesterday, so I thought I would come and see you, and uh, apologize and stuff."

She stared at him blankly for almost a solid minute, waiting for the words _I'm sorry_ to actually leave his mouth for this supposed apology; as usual, she got her hopes up for nothing. "No," She said with a slight chuckle. "You _should_ have shown up last night." With that, she pushed past him, eyes locked on the gates to her apartment.

"I know, I know, I feel like a real jerk." He said, zipping back in front of her. His boy scout charms had no effect on her now, so she simply walked around him. "Amy, c'mon! Look, let me make it up to you! I'll take you out tonight, right now!" He said as he followed her down the street.

It took every ounce of strength she had to protest. "I'm tired." She said, biting back tears.

"Please, give me another chance, I swear I'll make it right."

"You've had more than enough chances, haven't you Sonic?" She replied, voice barely above a whisper. She stopped at the door to her apartment building and turned to face him. "What makes you think you deserve another?"

"Amy, c'mon, it's _me,_ I mean…" Sonic's smile faded, and Amy's cold stare remained frozen on her face. "When I didn't show up, I just thought, you know, I was busy, and you'd understand, and we could just do it later, you know?"

"When are you going to stop taking me for granted?" Amy asked, eyes glistening with tears. When he only stared dumbfounded, she looked down and said, "Go home Sonic," before slipping inside, leaving Sonic on the doorstep feeling like a fool.

It took less than a minute for Sonic to zip at top speed over to Tail's home in the suburbs. He banged on the door for another full minute until his longtime best friend opened it. "Sonic, it's late, what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk, may I come in?"

"Of course, Sonic!" The young fox said, stepping aside for Sonic to enter the home. "Come on in."

Sonic entered the small home and made his way to the living room, sitting on the couch with his feet up and his arms crossed. "Amy just rejected me, flat out!"

Tails grimaced. "Uh, yeah, I'm not surprised." The fox sat in an armchair across from Sonic with his hands folded in his lap.

Sonic cocked and eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"Oh, uh, well I saw Knux today, and he told me…" Tails went quiet for a moment. "Well, it's impolite to spread rumors."

"No, tell me." Sonic insisted. "What did Knuckles say?"

Tails bit his lip, regretting not thinking before speaking. "I guess after you stood her up, she went to a party with him and Rouge."

Sonic's face twisted. "Let me guess… she slept with some guy, didn't she?"

"Yes." Was all Tails said, eyes down at his hands.

"D'you know who?"

Tails swallowed. He didn't like to lie to his best friend, but… "No, I don't, sorry."

Sonic looked defeated. "God damn." His arms fell to his sides and he looked toward the window. "What do I do now, dude?"

"I don't know Sonic. Let her go, I guess, if she rejected you."

Sonic frowned. He knew he was at fault, but somehow, he wanted to be angry at Amy. "I thought she'd wait for me."

Tails gave him a dumbfounded look. "Sonic… She _did." _


	4. Unexpected Encounters

_She could feel the bass through her entire body, and the feeling propelled her to continue dancing in her hazy state. Strong hands roamed over her body and she felt more intoxicated by their touch than the alcohol. He pulled her tightly against his body and growled into her ear. "I want you." His voice was low and desperate. _**Yes**,_ was all she could think._

Amy opened her eyes, blinking in the harsh sunlight. _Another day._ She sat up in bed, resting her hand on her chest. Her heart ached, but she couldn't figure out why. Her dream... it was the same one that had plagued her every night since her evening with Shadow. She'd tried to put him out of her mind but over the past few days he kept forcing his way into the forefront of her thoughts. She hadn't seen him around town… though she would never admit it, she'd been secretly hoping to run into him again.

Sonic had been lurking around the past couple of days, but she'd successfully avoided him so far. It pained her to even think about him. She hadn't taken any of his calls or replied to any of his texts, and she was proud of herself for staying true to her word. His messages had gotten more insistent as they days went on, and it was hard to pretend she didn't see what they said, but she didn't care that they 'needed to talk _now.'_ He only cared about himself. Why should she be available to him now just because he realized he'd screwed up?

She got dressed, pulled on her boots, and took a long look at herself in the mirror, smoothing out her dress. She didn't feel much like herself, but she had class… and lunch with Rouge. _Get on with it._ She commanded herself. So she did.

One nice thing about living in the city was her ability to walk anywhere she needed to go. Being in the car made her nervous, whether she was driving or not. Walking gave her time to think, or not think if she so chose. The view was gorgeous as well. She smiled to herself as she thought of Sonic. He always said he liked going for runs to 'see the views,' but he never slows down enough to catch more than a glimpse. She rather liked her way of soaking it all in.

Her writing class was barely enough to keep her attention that morning, and seemed to be over as soon as it started. As she made her way out of the building she had a pit of anxiety in her stomach. She kept her eyes focused on the floor, hoping that her feeling of dread was only paranoia, but when she stepped outside and heard a familiar voice call her name, her stomach dropped.

"Sonic." She said, forcing a smile. He'd been standing outside her building waiting for her. _No way to escape._ "What can I do for you?"

"Can we talk?" He asked, a little more edge in his voice than usual. He looked tired, but still had a smile plastered across his face.

"I guess so." She replied weakly.

"I want you to give me another chance." He said, taking a few steps closer. "I'm sorry for what I've done, but I'm ready to change, and I want you to—"

"Sonic, I—"

"No, Amy, listen to me." He insisted, continuing to corner her further against the building. "You and I are meant for each other. You've always known that."

"Sonic…" Amy shrunk back a little bit, suddenly aware of all the people passing by. "This isn't the time, or the place. I don't want this."

He'd now wandered so close that she was pressed up against the wall. "I know, I'm sorry, I make a lot of mistakes—"

_"Sonic."_ She pushed him, sending him stumbling a few steps backwards, then began to walk down the street. "Leave me alone!" She called over her shoulder.

"Amy, please don't walk away from me!"

His words spurred her to run. She didn't know why she felt the urge to flee, especially knowing he could catch her so easily… but this didn't worry her. Sonic wouldn't chase her now. He probably felt bad that he made her run, but she did it anyways. All she could think was to get to the stupid café to meet Rouge. Her pace didn't slow until she'd burst through the door of the shop, coming to an abrupt halt and clutching her chest as she tried desperately to catch her breath.

"Err… Amy? Are you alright?"

Her head snapped up and her jaw nearly dropped. "Shadow?" She said breathlessly. The man himself stood a few feet in front of her with a to-go coffee in his his hand and a surprised look on his face, clearly on his way out of the shop. "Uh, y-yeah, I'm okay." She sputtered. Did the universe hate her? She couldn't deal with all this, it was too much for her today…

His stomach turned. She looked absolutely miserable. He couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible, but by the way she barreled into the café, he assumed something other than him had to be bothering her. "Why did you sprint in here?" He asked, closing the distance between them and furrowing his brow.

The girl barely knew what to say. His voice was just as low and mesmerizing as it had always been, and it wasn't helping to clear her head. "I… was late. I'm supposed meet someone."

She could see his eyes darken just a bit. "Well, don't let me keep you." He said quietly, beginning to walk around her.

"No!" She said, holding her hands up to stop him. "No, I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry."

The panic in her eyes at his leaving intrigued him. "Who are you meeting?" He asked, cocking a brow.

"Rouge. I'm., uh," The girl looked down at her phone. "Early, actually. Running sure paid off." She laughed, obviously a bit nervous. "Are you on your way out?"

"Yes." He replied, mouth set into a slight frown. He couldn't tell if she was happy to see him or wishing she was somewhere else, but he supposed there was only one sure way to find out. He cleared his throat before speaking up again. "I could keep you company until she arrives, if you'd like."

Her eyes lit up for just a moment. A moment that allowed him the hope he'd been denying himself for years. _Easy now, Shadow._ He warned himself.

"That would be really nice." She answered honestly, looking around and gesturing to an empty table. "Would you like to sit down?"

He nodded in response and followed her girl, taking a seat and looking around with dull eyes. He hadn't planned on spending much time here. He liked the coffee, sure, but there was always the chance of running into Amy… not to mention the sickeningly cutesy décor. Still, seeing Amy smile at him would be worth any embarrassment he might feel being caught here.

"It's nice to see you." She began, a small smile on her face and hands folded under the table so he wouldn't see her fidget. "I usually see you around every couple of days, I feel like it's been a while."

"Oh." He said softly. "I've been pretty busy lately." Busy locking himself in his bedroom.

"What is it you do these days?" Amy asked brightly, seeming more and more herself by the minute. "Do you still work with G.U.N.?"

"No, I retired." He answered honestly. "Government work is tedious. I do a lot of work with Rouge. I run numbers for her nightclub." This time he spoke a half truth.

"Wow, that's a little surprising." Amy said, leaning back in her seat.

Shadow gave a slight shrug. "It keeps me busy, that's all I can ask for."

Amy laughed nervously, and then there was a silence between them that seemed to last for an eternity until Shadow spoke again.

"You're, uh," He cleared his throat again. "I hear you're in university."

"I am," She replied slowly. "I'm studying biology at the moment, but I'm in pre-med."

"A doctor?" His tone was clearly surprised. "I'm certainly impressed, Rose."

She could feel her heart skip a beat as words she'd wanted to hear from Sonic spilled from his mouth. "Thank you. I'm studying hard, med school isn't all that easy to get in to."

"You've always been rather determined. I'm sure you'll make it happen one way or another." He offered her, for the first time in their conversation, a soft and genuine smile. She could feel her breath hitch in the back of her throat.

There was an elephant in the room with them, and Amy wanted so desperately to point it out, but before she worked up the nerve, Shadow turned his head to look behind her.

"I think our time together is up." He said, _almost_ warmly. "I'll see you around."

Before Amy could even think to reply, Shadow stood and made a beeline for the door. Just as he reached it, the white bat walked in, and Amy could see them greet each other before Shadow left.

"Amy!" Rouge seemed quite happy to see her, and Amy feigned the same, but her mind was still stuck on the ebony hedgehog, who had disappeared as quickly as he came.


	5. A Friend's Guidance

Thank you very much to Amefloza13, Candy-SpiCa, and of course Pirilaxa for reviewing! More reviews makes the story update faster :P Much love and thanks for the support! And now, onto chapter 5...

* * *

Their lunch went on as planned and it warmed Amy's heart. She had spent a lot of time with Rouge while she was a teenager, but they'd fallen out of touch as Amy had gotten more and more desperate for Sonic's attention. Rouge was a sweet woman, if a bit self-centered, but the way she kept staring at her made Amy just a little nervous. Rouge, on the other hand, felt that Amy was a little spacy, more than usual and enough to make her mind wonder. When the time came to leave, Rouge couldn't hold it back any longer. "Amy, can I ask you something?" Rouge said, handing the server her card and watching her walk away.

Amy took a moment to respond, but ultimately said, "Yes, of course."

The bat smiled reassuringly and reached across the table to rest one hand on Amy's. "I've had a great time with you today, and it's been very nice to catch up, but you need to remember that we were pretty close back in the day. You can't hide it from me. I see how distracted you are. What's going on with you?"

Amy shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she spoke. "Oh, well, I've just had a lot going on recently. Ever since I moved out of Cream's house, I haven't seen her much, so I haven't had anyone to talk to really. I'm okay, though."

"You're a fibber." Rouge scolded lightly. Just then their waitress returned to give her the card back along with a receipt, and the white bat took them, sending her away with a bit of irritation. "Why don't you come take a walk with me? They just opened a new boutique two blocks down."

Amy glanced down at her phone but couldn't think of an excuse not to. "Sure." She said softly, brushing her bangs out of her face.

Rouge continued drilling her as soon as they hit the street. "You know, now that you've grown up a little, you need more grown up friends. I love Cream, but she's still just a kid, and you're, what, nineteen, twenty?"

"Twenty-one." The pink girl corrected.

"Wow." Rouge shook her head, reaching out to link arms with Amy. "You know, Amy, you can talk to _me_ about anything."

"That's very sweet." Amy said graciously. Rouge wanted something, but she wasn't sure what. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Amy can I speak honestly with you?"

"Of course."

"I know what happened at that party that I took you to. Between you and Shadow."

_Oh. Duh._ "Oh. Um. What about it, though?"

"I also know that it's quite the secret everyone is keeping from Sonic."

"Everyone?" Amy squeaked in surprise. "Everyone _knows?"_

At this, Rouge blushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to get out like that, but Shadow had told me, and of course I told Knuckles. Knuckles must have said something to Tails, because Cream asked me about it."

"Tails hasn't told Sonic?" Amy spoke bitterly.

Rouge cleared her throat. "He told him _what_ happened. Not _who."_

Amy's breathing quickened as she felt anger boiling in her gut. "So, everyone's just gossiping about my sex life behind my back?"

"Not exactly, but everyone knows." Rouge obviously felt guilty, but it wasn't guilty enough for Amy's taste.

"I can't believe you guys. No matter what I do, I'm always getting shit on by the rest of the gang. I try my best and you all treat me like I'm trash."

Rouge suddenly realized what a corner she'd backed herself into and began to backpedal. "No, it's not like that. Everyone's just really concerned! I mean, Shadow…"

"Oh, I'm sure he's just fucking laughing at me isn't he." Amy said darkly. "God, I can't believe I slept with him. If I'd have known he was going to turn it into the next big joke, I'd have…" The anger in her voice could not disguise how hurt she felt.

"Amy, you're completely misunderstanding." Rouge stopped her, using one hand to turn Amy until she was facing her. "Please listen. No one is making fun of you, everyone is just really concerned. Tails is worried because he doesn't think Shadow's a good guy. Knuckles is worried Sonic will find out and loose his shit. Shadow's worried that you hate him for what happened, and I… well, Cream and I are just worried about _you."_

Amy stared at her with her lips tightly pressed together in a desperate attempt to stop them from quivering. Her eyes were just beginning to glisten with tears, and to Rouge the sight was pitiful. "Oh, Rouge, I don't know what to do." She said as she began to cry. She hung her head and instinctively Rouge pulled her into a hug. The pink hedgehog gratefully threw her arms around the other and began to weep softly. "I feel like I've made such a mistake, but I don't regret it at all! Sonic, he keeps trying to tell me he wants to be with me now, but I can't even look at him! And Shadow…" She trailed off into another sobbing fit.

"What? What did Shadow say?" Rouge said, not breaking the hug but moving them to a little nearby alley with less foot traffic so that Amy might not have so many eyes on her.

Amy took a solid minute to collect herself enough to speak again, pulling back just slightly from the embrace. "Nothing." She said miserably. "He didn't say anything at all about it. I saw him earlier in the café and he just… _talked_ to me. Rouge, he says all the things I want Sonic to say and I never even asked him to. I only slept with him because I wanted to get back at Sonic, I didn't care _who_ I slept with, but it was _Shadow_ and now I have all these feelings when I think about him, and seeing him today… I don't know what I'm doing, Rouge, I don't at all."

Rouge stroked her arm gently as she absorbed all the information. "Amy, I think you really need to ask yourself some big questions. You've been chasing Sonic around for how long?"

"Thirteen years." She admitted.

"Are you ready to let him go?"

…was she? The question made her gaze fall back to her feet, still blurred with tears. She didn't want to give Sonic any more chances. She'd been used and cast aside over and over again, and she was sure she deserved better. "I think I am."

"Do you feel like sleeping with Shadow was a mistake?"

"No. Or, yes. I don't know." Amy sniffed sharply. "Can you tell him I don't… I'm not angry with him. I'm just kind of angry with myself for being so reckless."

Rouge wiped a tear from her friend's cheek and smiled warmly. "What you call reckless behavior, I call a fun Saturday night. Don't tell knuckles," She added with a wink.

"What should I do? I mean, what would _you_ do?" Amy asked desperately. "I mean, I feel like I just need someone else to tell me where I go from here."

"Now, Amy, I think you know no one can make that decision for you. But if it was me…" Rouge shrugged. "I'm kind of a bitch, so I'd just keep fucking Shadow and flip Sonic off every time I saw him. I think that's not really your style."

The idea was a little off putting, Amy had to admit. "It's not, but I think you're on the right track as far as what I _should_ do." The pink hedgehog laughed softly and gave her companion a little smile.

"You're a riot, babe, I love it." Rouge winked and linked their elbows together again. "Let's go shop. I wanna see you buy something new. You can't have the same style for nine years, you know!"

_Shopping._ Now that would make Amy feel a _lot_ better.


	6. Apprehension

Much love to _mewfatima, AmyFloza13, BitterKiss_, and of **course** _Pirilaxa!_ Thanks for reviewing 3 Ya'll are too sweet!

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Shadow had holed himself up in the back office of Rouge's nightclub, trying desperately to ignore the muffled pounding of music from outside the door. How Rouge ever got any work done when the club was open was beyond him. The music brought him back to the night he'd spent with Amy, and for a minute he lost himself in thoughts of her, absently chewing on a pen cap as he did so. The back-door opening brought him back to reality.

"Shadow!" Rouge said, offering him a wide grin. "Good to see you."

He eyed her with a bit of apprehension. "What can I do for you this evening?"

"I just thought I'd tell you that you made _quite_ the impression on Miss Amy." Rouge hopped upon the desk and crossed her legs.

His heart skipped a beat. "Oh really?"

"I think she likes you, honestly, it's just…" Rouge tilted her head to the side and hummed for a few seconds. "She said she was done with him, but she's awful torn up about Sonic."

"Maybe she needs a little space."

"Or a shoulder to cry on." Rouge said with a wink.

Shadow's mouth went dry. "I, uh, I don't know about that."

Rouge playfully whacked his shoulder. "Come on, don't leave a girl hanging like that. She's vulnerable. Sonic made her feel unwanted, and if you leave her hanging after all that she'll feel even worse."

Now he felt cornered. He didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to see Amy again… he'd relished the chance to sit with her that afternoon, even if it was only for a few minutes. When he thought of her his heart raced. If Rouge thought it was a good idea, maybe, just maybe, he _could_ make a move on her. "You're not wrong." He murmured, sitting back in his seat.

"You should give her a call or something. Who knows, it could even be fun for you." She teased.

"I don't have any way to contact her."

"I'll give you her number, give me your phone."

Shadow rolled his eyes but did as he was told. "I know it's lots of fun for you to meddle with my life, but I'd like to one day make a decision that you didn't puppeteer."

"It's not just me. Amy asked me to assure you she wasn't upset with you at all. That's why I'm here in the first place, asshat." Rouge replied, handing back the phone. "You know, I think she'd really like you, if she was ever able to acknowledge anyone other than Sonic. This might just be your shot." She added with a wink.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell her things I've said to you privately." He said dryly, saving the contact and setting his phone down on the table. "I don't know _exactly_ what you said, but I know Amy wouldn't have told you that if you hadn't said _something."_

"Oh, come off it. People gossip, that's life. At least I'm honest about it." Rouge sounded almost indignant. "Give it a try, for me?"

She seemed to misunderstand his apprehension. Crimson eyes lingered on the cell phone for a long moment before he spoke. "If she wanted me for me, I'd do it."

Rouge furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"She barely even knows me, Rouge." He sighed. "If she wanted to be with me, I'd do it, but I think she just wanted a rebound. I think I just confused her." He felt somewhat guilty for not having had more control of himself, for not having the sense to stop what happened. He'd asked her, and she'd said yes, but he shouldn't have asked, he should have put her in a cab and sent her home. Then maybe he'd be the good friend come to help her heal from Sonic, and maybe one day more. Instead he made himself the rebound hook up who made it harder to move on properly, and it killed him.

"Shadow, I think honestly if you hadn't slept with her nothing would have changed. I don't think she'd have the resolve to cut Sonic out." Rouge gave him a shrug. "If you think all you could possibly be is a rebound, then either be her rebound or don't. Either way it doesn't really matter. All I'm saying is, if you leave her hanging after you _fucked her,_ you're no better than he is."

_Well that was harsh._ "You're right," he admitted, making no attempts to hide his bitterness.

"Of course, I am, Shads." She gave him a playful nudge and hopped back off the counter. "I'll leave you to your brooding. See you in the morning, pal."

"Bright and early." He replied monotonously as the door slammed shut behind her.

She was right, though. He didn't have much of a choice. He knew he wanted to call her, and she probably would rather have him call than not. So why was it so hard for him to just pick up the phone and do it? _Maybe tomorrow._ He thought.

Shadow closed his laptop with a soft sigh and stood, beginning to collect his things. He'd put in more than enough work for the night. Not that going home was much of an improvement. He lived all alone in that big empty house. He sometimes missed the days when Rouge stayed with him. He didn't feel so lonely. He sometimes enjoyed the solitude, but lately every quiet moment brought Amy to his mind.

_Maybe that's what I need tonight._ He thought to himself as he headed out. _Just a quiet night. I can think about what I'm gonna do…_

Shadow hated having to walk through the front of the club just to get out of the bar. It was always crowded no matter what day it was. The people and the music were too loud. Sometimes people tried to talk to him. He glared at his surroundings as he passed by the bar but stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on a familiar figure.

_Sonic?_ He thought.

Sonic was staring down at his drink with his chin rested on one hand. He usually didn't drink, but the man obviously seemed upset. Shadow really didn't feel all that bad for him, but when Sonic casually glanced around and they accidentally locked eyes he feared he may have to feign some sort of sympathy.

Sonic immediately perked up a bit and gave him a smile, waving him over. _No, damn it._ Shadow shrugged and gestured to the door. 'Sorry,' he mouthed. Sonic's smile faltered just a little, but it didn't bother Shadow, who simply kept heading for the door.

Sonic was such a bizarre character in Shadow's mind. He was kind of an asshole, but everyone liked him anyways. It wasn't like Shadow disliked him, but he was awfully selfish and conceited, and so Shadow did not care much for his company. This didn't stop Sonic's attempts to be friendly with him, though. Shadow figured he only did it because no one really talked to him anymore except Tails and Amy. Now Rouge said Amy didn't want him around anymore…

He must be lonely too.

Shadow stepped into the cool night air and sighed, leaving those thoughts behind him.


	7. Phone Calls

My sincerest apologies for disappearing unexpectedly. The short story is, after posting the latest chapter I had an old friend and and in-law pass away unexpectedly. That's why I didn't update on time and also why this chapter is a little short. I'm not that torn up or anything, but I've been busy regardless. Regular updates will resume from here on out. Thank you very much for continuing to read and review. Now, onto chapter 7.

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The girl came out of class in a better mood than she had been since Sonic stood her up last weekend. At Rouge's insistence, she'd bought some new things to wear instead of her trademark red dress. Today she wore a white sundress patterned with yellow roses and some gold sandals. It wasn't her usual style, but the compliments she'd gotten from her classmates gave her just the boost she needed to walk home with a smile, even though she was going to be alone on a Friday night. She didn't even bother to turn her cell phone back on until she got back inside of her apartment.

She set it down and allowed it to turn on while she opened her backpack to retrieve her books. It buzzed to let her know she had missed messages and so she scanned through them. She had a missed call from an unknown number and a voicemail. Curious, she pressed play and set it to speakerphone so she could keep organizing her things to study.

_"Hey, Amy… it's Shadow."_

Amy froze as soon as she heard his voice.

_"Rouge, uh, gave me your number, I hope that's okay. Um… call me, if you want." _

That was unexpected. Why did Shadow call her? She thought about seeing him yesterday and how much she'd wanted him to stay longer. Maybe he felt the same… _Don't get your hopes up._ She told herself as she took a deep breath. She had a pit of anxiety in her stomach, but she felt compelled to call the number back anyways.

It rang two times before he picked up. "Hello Amy." He said softly into the phone.

"Hey, Shadow!" She said warmly. "I'm sorry I missed your call! What's up?"

His voice sounded a little distracted. "Oh, well, I was… I wanted to, uh…" He seemed somewhat agitated. What Amy couldn't know was that Shadow was mentally kicking himself. He was caught a little off guard that she hadn't answered his call in the first place, and now he struggled to recall his practiced speech.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Amy asked softly.

"No, of course not." She heard him clear his throat. "I called because I was hoping I could see you tonight."

Suddenly Amy felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Her mind flooded with what ifs that kept her silent for long enough that Shadow spoke again.

"If you're busy, uh, I—"

"Sorry, sorry, I'd really like that actually."

His tone changed ever so slightly, and he spoke now with less edge in his voice. "Oh, good. Should I pick you up or would you rather meet somewhere?"

Amy felt dizzy. "Oh, you know, whatever works for you." She said, voice barely above a whisper.

"I'll probably get out of the club around eight." He sounded distracted as he said this, and she could hear him rustling some papers. "I could call you when I'm out, or…"

Amy took another deep breath, trying desperately to stop her mind from racing. "Why don't I meet you there? We could get a drink."

She listened to him chuckle before he replied. "Sure, if you want. I'll see you then."

"Okay! Goodbye Shadow."

"… Bye, Amy."

She didn't bother to hang up, knowing he would, and just flopped face down on her bed. She had a _date._ With _Shadow._ How on Earth did that happen? Last Saturday she'd been so enamored with her hero that she'd been waiting for Sonic for hours like a fool with a huge smile on her face. Now she's meeting his rival for drinks. What the hell was she doing?

She hadn't even seen Sonic since he'd shown up at her school a couple days ago. Suddenly she felt very hollow. Had she finally pushed him away? It's what she wanted, sure, but… Amy turned her head and her eyes drifted to her phone. Was she really ready to do this? Maybe she should cancel…

_No! _She picked up the phone again, but instead of dialing Shadow's number she called Cream. If anyone could soothe her troubled mind, it would be her best friend.

Cream answered almost immediately. "Amy!" She cried happily. "It's so good to hear from you! I've missed you so much!"

"It's been like two weeks since I've seen you." Amy laughed. "I'm sorry, I've been having a rough time lately."

"I've heard a little bit." Cream admitted. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I need to tell you something and you can't freak out."

"Uh oh. I'm ready, hit me." Amy could almost see the smirk on Cream's face as she spoke.

"It's a doozy. I'm going out with Shadow tonight."

_"What?"_

"Exactly. Come over. I need someone to slap some sense into me." Amy laughed nervously, but she wasn't exactly kidding.

"Oh my god. I'm coming right now."

"Thank you." Amy said before hanging up the phone.

She was panicking a little bit, but... she had to admit, she was _excited._


	8. A Rough Start

Here is chapter 8! Two updates in one night to make up for my absence. Please R&R

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_"Amy, you look beautiful." Cream assured her._

_ Amy was not so content. She stood in front of her mirror poking and prodding at her face, tugging at her quills and eyeing her outfit with suspicion. She really did look lovely; She wore a strapless red dress, with a black lace design along the edges of the big flowy skirt. Her hair was curled, and she even put on some makeup. Amy thought it was a bit much, but Cream had insisted on all of it._

_ "I'm not sure about this eye shadow." She said, squinting at the smoky eye Cream had done. "Black is a little harsh on me, I think."_

_ "Shadow's an edgy guy, isn't he?" Cream teased. "He'll love it."_

_ Amy let her shoulders slump. "I don't know. I feel like I look like a streetwalker. I don't think Shadow likes that sort of thing."_

_ "You're too hard on yourself. Amy, can I ask you something?" Cream cocked her head to the side. "Why do you seem so nervous?"_

_ "I've never really been on a real date." Amy admitted. "Only ever with Sonic, the few times he showed up, and honestly? I wouldn't count them." She crossed over and sat on the bed next to her friend, letting her face fall in her hands. "What if Shadow doesn't even show up?"_

_ "He will. Relax." Cream soothed, rubbing Amy's back gently. "You have nothing to worry about." At that moment, Amy felt just a little bit of hope._

Now she sat on a bar stool alone. She checked her phone about every other minute, and it wasn't helping the time pass. It was a few minutes until eight, when Shadow promised he'd meet her. It was very like her to arrive early—she supposed she was used to waiting anyways. Still, as she looked around, she saw no sign of Shadow anywhere. The club was packed, as it usually was on a Friday night, and that didn't calm her nerves _at all._

When her phone read 8:00 PM exactly, she started to really get anxious. _I shouldn't have come here. I bet it was all a dumb prank. They're all laughing at me right now._ She tried to push these thoughts away, but she couldn't.

A hand on her shoulder gave her hope, until she glanced over and recognized the glove.

"Sonic." She said flatly as she turned around to face him.

"Hey, Amy, I saw you over here and I thought I'd join you." He said, plopping down in the seat she'd been saving for Shadow. He waved to the bartender who came and brought him some drink without asking. _He must come here often. _"Let me buy you a drink, what are you having?"

"Nothing, thanks." She said looking down. Why, oh why was he here? She found herself now praying that Shadow would stand her up, just so that he didn't see her sitting here with Sonic. After dwelling on this thought for a moment another hit her: What's going to happen if Shadow _does_ show up and Sonic sees that she's here to meet him? Will Sonic flip? Will Shadow be offended? Does she care what Sonic thinks at all anymore? Surely a little bit, right?

"You seem upset. What's the matter?"

She lifted her head to lock eyes with the man she once proclaimed she loved. He wore a half smile and a soft expression. "Oh, nothing."

Sonic did not seem satisfied with this answer and eyed her wearily. "Amy, I know I'm a real jerk and I messed up, but does that mean we can't still be pals?"

She only looked at him blankly. If she spoke, if she even allowed herself to process these words she might start crying.

He continued, not seeming to notice her expression. "I'm sure you're still pretty angry at me, but maybe once things calm down, you'll be willing to give me one last chance. If I screw it up, I swear I'll never bring it up again. But I'm not giving up yet." He added with what she supposed was a playful wink.

Amy checked her phone again. 8:06 PM. _Shadow, hurry._ She couldn't believe what she was thinking. She felt so powerless when it came to Sonic. Her mind and her resolve told her to stand up and throw his drink in his face and leave. Her legs felt like jelly, like she would collapse if she put any weight on them at all. Why did he still have this effect on her? The way her body told her she still belonged to this man, no matter how loud her mind screamed in protest, made her want to hurl.

She looked up at the blue hedgehog, who, surprisingly, was still talking. "…so, I don't think that will be a problem going forward, even though it did sting a little bit to hear it from someone other than you. Whoever the guy was, though, I promise I'll make you forget _all_ about him, you won't even remember that you—"

"Excuse me?" She asked, face flushing red as she realized he was talking about the night she'd spent with Shadow.

Sonic sputtered for a moment. "It, it's just that, uh…"

Amy, exasperated, looked around the club again for any sign of a familiar face. She caught sight of Rouge leaving the backroom door, followed closely by none other than the ultimate lifeform himself. Amy felt relief wash over her, but as soon as they locked eyes, she felt panic again. She watched his gaze flicker between her and the hedgehog beside her before he cocked a brow. She gave him the most "help me" expression she could muster, and though he looked confused for a few seconds, he eventually started heading towards them.

"Shadow," She said warmly as he grew near, interrupting whatever nonsense Sonic was spewing.

"Good evening, Amy." He replied, eyeing Sonic curiously before flashing Amy a small smile. "You look lovely tonight."

Sonic stopped talking and simply stared at the other hedgehogs in surprise. "Shadow, what are you doing here?" He eventually asked.

"I don't suppose that's any of your business." Shadow replied coldly, pointedly taking Amy by the hand and leaning closer to her. "Why don't we get out of here? It's a little crowded in this place."

Amy only nodded. Shadow gave Sonic a shrug and pulled Amy away with him towards the door. She hadn't expected him to do something like grab her hand, and she was glad it was too dark for him to notice how red her cheeks had become.

Once they hit the cool night air, he let go of her and stuck his hands in the pockets of his black jeans. Shadow looked at her somewhat expectantly, although he didn't seem upset.

"Thanks for rescuing me." She said softly, wringing her hands as she spoke. "Sonic keeps trying to corner me."

Shadow frowned a little but sounded like he was trying to come off as sympathetic. "He's kind of a dick."

"Tell me about it. I'm sorry. Where should we go instead?"

Shadow briefly glanced around before smirking to himself. "Well, there's a little dive bar I like down the street if you still want a drink."

"I think I need one." She laughed nervously. The ebony hedgehog gestured for her to follow, and before he could put his hand back into his pocket, the girl bravely snatched it. He didn't seem to notice, other than lacing his fingers through hers as they walked. She could almost hear her own heart racing.

They walked in silence for a minute or two before he broke it. "I was glad you agreed to see me tonight. I found myself a little distressed when I noticed you with the blue one."

"Like I said, I didn't exactly _want_ to see him." She looked at him and noticed how he cringed just a little when she said that. But why? "I was so glad you called me. Nervous, though."

"I don't know why you'd be nervous. It's just me."

"Just you." Amy repeated softly as they came to a stop in front of the door to the bar. "Don't be ridiculous, Shadow."

He seemed to ignore her comment and opened the door for her. "After you." He said with a smile.


	9. Hesitation

Shadow carried himself with a confidence that had Amy's head swimming. The way Sonic carried himself was with arrogance and conceit, but Shadow's cool demeanor was enough to make any girl faint. As such, when he walked in, he turned quite a few heads. Amy suddenly felt very insignificant, despite the fact that hers was the hand he held so tightly. It was hard to not feel insecure. When she dressed up to go out, she often felt like a child who had gotten into her mother's closet. It was almost as if Shadow could sense her self-doubt, for just as these thoughts raced through her mind, he squeezed her hand and gave her a very reassuring smile.

The hedgehog led his companion to an empty booth and sat her down, promising to return from the crowded bar with drinks. She asked him for "something fruity with vodka," which made him chuckle, but he retrieved the drink and set it down before her anyways.

"What do you have?" She asked, cocking a brow at the brown liquid in his glass. It looked… a little boring, next to her rather colorful concoction.

"Whiskey neat." He said, settling himself into the seat across from her.

"Easy guy to please, I guess."

"No." He said, a little harsher than he meant to. "I'm not, at all."

She met his gaze for a few seconds before she had to drop it. Those crimson eyes were so _intense._ They made her skin crawl. "Well, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Sorry. Fuck." He cursed himself, bringing one hand up to absently scratch his nose. "I don't mean to come across so, ah, aggressive all the time. I speak before I think a lot."

"That's kind of surprising." She replied, toying with the straw in her drink. "You've always seemed like the kind of guy who does everything very… _deliberately._"

"I try to be. I'm happy to see I'm succeeding on at least putting out a front." Shadow put back his drink in one go and gingerly set his empty class in front of him. When he looked back up at her, she was still avoiding his gaze. He had never been insecure, but she seemed very uncomfortable. _What am I doing wrong?_

"You're so strange, Shadow." She mused, almost too quiet for him to hear.

_You're floundering._ He cursed himself. "Is that bad?"

"No." She smiled and looked back at him. She looked so soft, so gentle. It moved something in him greatly. "I guess I meant it as sort of a compliment."

"Sort of?" He chuckled. "Thank you, I guess."

"Don't thank me." She insisted, taking a long sip of her drink. "I'm being such a weirdo. I'm sorry."

"Don't say that." Shadow said, leaning back in his chair and letting his arms fall to his sides. "Why are you so nervous, Amy? I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable."

"Well…" Amy shifted in her seat. "You're not doing anything wrong. After last weekend, I just… have been thinking about you a lot. So now that I'm here with you, it feels kind of like a dream."

Shadow couldn't help but hang on every word her honey voice spoke. His heart started racing as the gravity of her words sank in. "I think a lot about you too, actually." He could barely hear himself speak from the sound of his pulse in his ears, but he was still able to appreciate the smile his response earned him. "I have for quite some time." He added.

This made Amy tilt her head. "Really?"

"Does that surprise you?"

"Kind of." She answered honestly. "I mean, you never even talked to me."

Shadow shrugged. "You didn't seem to have room in your world for anyone other than..." He made a loose gesture with his hand, unwilling to even mention his rival's name. "I thought I'd wait it out, see if I ever got a chance to try my luck."

Amy only seemed to be more confused. "I guess I don't really get it."

Shadow hesitated for a moment before he spoke. "Some things are better when they happen naturally, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes." She said quietly. She brought her glass to her lips to finish her drink, and by the time she set it down Shadow had already gotten up to go over to the bar again, leaving her to absorb his words.

Had Shadow really admired her from afar? It wouldn't be hard to lie about, but if he was being honest… Amy's pulse was unsteady. Why would he even like her? She was an annoying, self-centered, obsessive fangirl.

When he walked back, he smiled at her, setting another drink down in front of her.

"Will you sit on this side of the booth?" She asked as he was about to sit down. "It's a little hard to hear you, is all."

Shadow smiled. "Sure." He replied. Amy moved so that he could sit beside her, trying desperately to keep her breathing steady. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her even closer.

"You're not very shy, are you?" Amy sputtered in surprise, leaning into his touch.

"You've always been rather affectionate towards those around you whether they like it or not." Shadow pointed out. "I just want my fair share, is all. Is it alright?"

Amy locked eyes with him for a long moment before she broke and smiled. "Yes, it's _very _alright."


	10. Regret

It was a sorry sight for Tails to see Sonic ins such a state. The defeated hedgehog sat with his face in his hands in Tails' living room, having once again shown up unannounced and very distressed. Tails had made him a cup of coffee, but it sat untouched in front of him as Sonic appeared to still be collecting himself. Tails patiently waited with his hands folded in his lap for several minutes before he cleared his throat, eager to get on with his evening.

"Sonic, are you gonna…?"

"Yes, jeez, I'm sorry man, I just… I'm all over the place right now." Sonic's voice was weary, but he finally looked up at his companion. "I came straight here, so I haven't had a lot of time to process everything that just happened."

"Talking about it usually helps."

"I know, dickhead." Sonic snapped. Tails held his hands up and scrunched his face, making Sonic's shoulders slump. "I'm sorry man, I'm on edge. I saw Amy at Rouge's nightclub tonight."

Tails raised his brow. "Oh? Then what's all this?"

Sonic's lip quivered slightly but his voice was steady when he spoke. "I was trying to say I was sorry, and that I really do want to be with her, and she just blew me off. Like I was nothing."

Despite being Sonic's best friend, the irony was not lost on Tails. "You've been blowing her off since we were kids. She can't wait around forever you know."

Sonic glared at him but continued. "Then Shadow showed up. Did I tell you that he keeps blowing me off too? Won't even say hi to me."

That didn't strike Tails as odd, for as long as he knew Shadow, he never really liked Sonic all that much. He was rarely more than civil towards him. Why should that bother Sonic? "So what?"

"It's not that so much as this, dude. So, he comes up, and he's like, 'Hey, Amy, you look hot, let's get out of here,' and then she just up and left with him." Sonic crossed his arms over his chest with a _humph_ and looked at Tails as if the fox was meant to say something profound.

Tails only uncomfortably shifted in his seat. "Sonic, why are you so obsessed with Amy all of a sudden?"

Sonic lifted a brow. "She's always been my girl, hasn't she?"

"Uh, no, not at all. Not ever have you shown any interest in her."

"Well," Sonic paused for a second to think of a defense. "I didn't need to! She was always so into me, so it was just, you know, enough. Don't you think?"

"You… think that because she adored you, you didn't even have to act like you liked her?" Tails spoke slowly and deliberately, a little taken aback at Sonic's childish behavior.

"When you say it like that—"

"I think any way you say it is kind of messed up, dude."

Sonic looked down, still feeling indignant. He knew he didn't own her, but he felt somewhat entitled to what he assumed would always be available. To lose Amy to his own rival… it was too much for him to bear. "Tails, can you tell me the truth?"

"Sure, man." Tails replied weakly.

"Do you know if Shadow was the one who fucked her?"

Tails immediately grimaced, and it told Sonic everything he needed to know.

"I can't fucking believe this. She's _mine,_ how could he fucking do this?" Sonic said, angrily rising to his feet.

"Sonic, you better calm down right now!" Tails barked. "Amy's not yours! She's not anyone's! You're acting like a bratty child!"

Sonic locked eyes with Tails for a long moment before his breathing steadied and he fell back into the couch. He'd lost a game he'd never even tried to win, always assuming there were no other players. It was his own fault and he felt humiliated. Once more, his face fell in his hands.

"Sonic, I'm sure this probably sucks for you, but I honestly think you got what was coming."

"Thanks, Tails. You're a great friend." Sonic replied bitterly. He then stood and casually strolled towards the door, making his friend get up and follow.

"Man, where are you going?"

"I'm going home, Tails. I'm tired, and I'm really sad, and I feel like a real piece of shit." Sonic replied quietly.

"Don't bother Amy and Shadow."

"I'm not gonna." Sonic said, his tone somewhat defensive. "What kind of scumbag do you take me for?"

Tails only shrugged and waved goodbye, sending his friend into the cool evening. He felt bad for Sonic, and he felt bad for Amy, but he wondered what Shadow was up to. _Maybe I should call Rouge._ He thought as he yawned. _What a mess._


	11. Wanting

Amy felt warm, and whether it was the alcohol in her system or Shadow's hand on her waist that had her cheek's flushing she couldn't be sure. Either way, she felt content as they walked towards her apartment. When they stopped at a crosswalk, she would rest her head on his shoulder and nuzzle into his fur, not knowing how her simple affection drove him wild.

Their conversation had slowly faded away as they drew closer to her home, happy to just enjoy each other's company. As soon as her apartment came into view, Amy felt a slight panic in her stomach. She stole a shy glance at Shadow, with whom she'd just spent the last few hours laughing and drinking, and wondered what he'd been thinking. He'd referenced the fact that they'd slept together once or twice, but never directly. He'd offered to walk her home but hadn't tried to kiss her or anything like that. Did he expect that they'd do it again? Did she want to? She didn't have an answer. Before she'd worked up the nerve to say something, they reached the outside gates and her companion stopped.

"This is you, right?" He asked with a gentle smile.

"Yes," She breathed, leaning a little further into his embrace.

"I suppose this is goodnight then, Amy. Thank you for showing me a lovely time." He replied, letting go and taking a step back. As he did, he caught her hand and slowly brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles.

_Oh._ Amy let her hand fall to her side when he released it and felt her knuckles tingle. His cool smile never faltered, and he didn't look away from her gaze despite her stunned silence, and she now found herself trapped in his crimson gaze. _He's going to leave._

"Goodnight, Shadow." She whispered softly.

With a slight nod, Shadow turned to walk away, and he didn't take more than two steps before Amy couldn't bear the sight any longer.

"Shadow please don't go." She blurted out before she could stop herself.

Shadow froze. This made Amy uneasy, but she continued anyways. "I'm sorry, I just… I don't want tonight to end yet."

Slowly and deliberately, Shadow turned back around, a different fire taking over the expression in his eyes. It made Amy's breath stop in her throat. He seemed to eye her before he closed the distance in between them. "I can stay for a while." He said, his voice low and hoarse.

Amy's eyes flickered between him and the gates. "Do, um, do you want to come inside?" He seemed to visibly swallow, but nodded, so she took his hand, leading him into her apartment building.

When he stepped into her apartment, it was not quite what he expected. He vaguely remembered her mentioning that she recently moved, so he figured that was why the apartment was so plain, but it seemed a little lonely in here. Not that his big empty house was much of an improvement. She led him to a small living room and sat him on a red couch, asking if she could get him anything at all and already walking towards the kitchen.

"I'm alright, Amy." He said with a smile. "Come sit with me."

"I'm going to have a glass of wine; don't you want one?"

"Ah, sure." He replied, watching her impatiently as she poured two glasses of red wine and brought them over. He gratefully took one and thanked her, setting it down on the coffee table. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling the girl until she sat halfway on his lap. She giggled but eased into his touch as if they'd done this a million times.

"I'll slap you if you get handsy." She teased as the male hedgehog nuzzled her cheek.

"Surely you didn't bring me all the way up to your apartment just to tell me you don't want me." Shadow growled into her ear, voice dripping with lust. It made Amy's heart skip several beats, and she was too surprised to respond. "Did you?"

"I don't really know what I'm doing, Shadow." She replied, setting down her glass and snaking her arms around his neck.

"Are you open to suggestions?" He asked, cocking a brow.

"Always." She answered shyly.

"Kiss me."

Amy's eyes widened, but she felt compelled to accept the command. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. He tasted unfamiliar. It was intoxicating. She suddenly remembered the last time she'd kissed him, when she'd been much more intoxicated than she was now, and even that did not compare to the fire with which he kissed her now. His kiss was filled with the passion and desire Shadow had contained for the last nine years, and Amy found it overwhelming to say the least. She moaned softly against his mouth, parting her lips enough that he could slip his tongue into her mouth.

She somewhat awkwardly reciprocated, making Shadow struggle to suppress a grin. He yanked her body closer and kissed her deeply. As soon as they parted again, Amy whined softly, shifting so that she was straddling his lap. "Shadow, I want you."

He kissed her once more before he spoke. "Are you sure?"

"_Yes."_ Came her soft response.

Shadow then locked eyes with her for a long moment before he pulled her into another desperate kiss.

* * *

The pair was woken up to a rather rude alarm that Amy had forgotten about. She came to lying on Shadow's chest, and she groaned into his white chest fur before leaning over to shut off her clock. She turned back to see him smiling sleepily at her.

"Good morning." She said, blushing a bright red and pulling the sheets to cover her bare chest.

The ebony hedgehog wordlessly pulled her into a kiss, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her tightly against his body. She smiled against his lips, barely suppressing a giggle.

"Come on, lets go back to sleep."

Amy's smile fell. "I can't, Shadow. That was my alarm, I have work. I didn't really plan on having you spend the night, I kind of forgot."

Shadow grimaced a bit. "Well, I was hoping not to get kicked out right away, but I suppose it can't be helped, can it?"

Amy's pulse hastened. This was still so surreal to her. Shadow was here in front of her. He wanted to be here; he didn't want to run away. It was all so unfamiliar. She always thought sex was all guys wanted, but she'd given it up twice now and he still wanted to stay. Could there really be someone who truly cared for her? "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." He smiled. "I'll, um, get out of your hair. Will I see you later?"

"Yes!" She gushed, hands tightly gripping his chest fur. "Yes, you will, if you want."

Shadow kissed her once more before shifting her off him and yanking his jeans back on. He fished an emerald from his pocket and flashed her a grin before he chaos controlled away, leaving Amy lying in bed staring wantonly at the empty space beside her.


	12. Prying

"Why is everyone bothering me so much about Shadow and Amy?" Rouge grumbled, fixing herself a drink behind the bar of the empty nightclub. The sun was a bit blinding, even with the tinted windows of her club, so the bat wore dark sunglasses even indoors. "Haven't I meddled enough?"

"You're just angry at me for waking you up. Which I'm sorry about, by the way." Tails replied, chin rested on his hand while his legs kicked freely under the too-tall barstool. "Should you be drinking this early?"

"It's morning. Perfect time for a bloody mary." Rouge replied somewhat defensively.

"Whatever. Who else am I supposed to talk to? Amy knows I'm Sonic's best friend, and Shadow and I have never even _spoken_ to each other, and I assume that's for the same reason. Knuckles even said he didn't know anything."

"So, you have no connection to the two of them, and yet you expect me to answer _all_ your prying questions? The reason I won't tell Knuckles anything is because he went blabbing the first time, and it really hurt Amy. Besides, who says I even know what's going on?"

Tails' ears flattened against his head in frustration. "I know you keep your ears on the ground. You know everything that happens in this town."

Rouge sipped her drink, staring at her companion with distrust in her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

Tails frowned as he spoke. "They were here last night, right?"

"For a short time. They left pretty quickly, since Sonic was pestering the poor girl."

"So, what, are they _together_ now?"

"I wouldn't say so. Not like Shadow to jump into something like that. I had to put the pressure on just to get him to take her out." Rouge said, walking around the bar and taking a seat beside the orange fox.

"Sonic was really shaken up about last night." Tails replied absently. "What's Shadow's angle?"

Rouge cocked a brow. "What do you mean?"

Tails huffed and rephrased his question a bit more forcefully. "What does he want with Amy?"

"From what I can tell? A lot more than Sonic ever wanted. I wish you would stay out of their business." Rouge added bitterly. This felt more and more like high school drama as it developed, and Rouge couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. If she hadn't been so insistent on involving _herself_, perhaps the poor hedgehogs could get a little peace.

"I'm not doing anything to bother them!" Tails' tone was defensive, and his small hands balled into fists.

"Why are you here then? Trying to groom me for information you can take back to Sonic?" Rouge spat.

Tails took that in, then hung his head in shame. "You're… not entirely wrong. It's just that Sonic's is the only side of the story I'm getting to hear, and he doesn't exactly paint a picture that would set my mind at ease. I care about Amy, too, you know."

Rouge sighed, beginning to understand where the fox was coming from. "Why don't you go home and rest easy knowing it's fine. I mean, you all trust _me,_ don't you?"

Tails hesitated before he relented, "Yeah." Although the truth was, Rouge had been their enemy almost as many times as Shadow had. If it weren't for her being engaged to Knuckles Tails would be as weary of her as he was the black hedgehog. _Maybe then,_ he thought to himself, _I could come to trust Shadow too, if Amy seems to think he's okay…_

"What about Sonic, though? I don't think he's going to let it go."

Rouge reached over and gave her young friend a pat on the head, telling him, "I know that Sonic is your best friend, but if he's going to win Amy back, he has to do it on his own. You simply can't help him."

Tails had always been a good natured and polite young man, but Rouge's assurances were about as comforting to the boy as if they'd come out of Robotnik's mouth. "Fine, whatever. I'm gonna get out of here." Tails pushed away from the bar and hopped down to his feet. "I should make sure Sonic's doing alright anyway. Thanks for nothing, Rouge."

Rouge narrowed her eyes at his bitter response but said nothing in return, knowing her temper often came back to bite her. Her eyes remained fixed on his back until the door shut behind him, then sighed deeply. _What a mess. God forbid two adults go about their private lives._

The bat stretched as she meandered into the back room. She regretted meeting Tails here so early and was debating going back home to catch some more sleep when she noticed Shadow's logbook on the counter. Out of curiosity she opened it, taking a few minutes flipping through pages of receipts from her own business she'd never actually seen before. _Damn. The nightclub is almost as profitable as flipping jewels._

A distant door slamming caught her by surprise. "Tails?" She called, heading back to the front of the club. "Did you forget something?"

Before she could reach for the doorknob, the backroom door swung open, knocking the bat off balance and forcing her to take a step back. As she recovered from her stumble, she felt something pressed into her that caused her to freeze up and twitch in painful agony that quickly claimed her consciousness. Her attacker calmly placed his taser back in his pocket and waved for his companions to lift her slumped form away.


End file.
